F.M. Johnson Archives and Special Collections at North Park University, Chicago, Illinois -- All Rights Reserved. For permission to reproduce, distribute, or otherwise use this publication please email archives@northpark.edu.

flje *lYortlj fark Press
February 11, 2000 Volume 80, Issue 13
Williams resigning
from Ohlson House
photo couricsy o f Greg Dolc/iil
By Adam Moore
Tommie Williams, Resident
Director (RD) in Ohlson Hall,
made her decision to resign in
August of 1999 so she can
become a high school teacher.
She has been the RD in Ohlson
for the last two years and has
enjoyed her experience at North
Park.
“We’re going to miss her a
lot,” said Kerrie Ann Ellingsen,
Ohlson Hall Council President.
“I’ve always been used to having
Tommie as the RD. She’s incred­ibly
organized, very personable,
and she’s just fun to be with. She
makes our meetings fun and liv­ing
in Ohlson fun.”
Williams is convinced that if
she worked as the RD much
longer, she might start to get
burnt out and she doesn’t want
that to happen.
“I’m not starting to feel the
burn-out yet. but I don’t want to
Animal House in Anderson Chapel
Larry the Llama makes an appearance at College Life last
Sunday to promote Campus Ministries upcoming Week 26
event. Larry is being led by Mike Rice.
Changes to SA race
for 2000 elections
By Steven Waiksnoris
In an attempt to offer more
opportunities to students, the
rules and procedures regarding
the Student Association presi­dential
election has recently been
amended by the SA Presidential
Task Force and Student Senate.
In past years, if two students
wanted to run for President and
Vice-President, they had to go
through the Nominating
Convention, which was a confus­ing
process for many partici­pants.
The Nominating Convention
is an event held one or two
weeks prior to the elections.
Students would form "states" and
then nominate a particular two-student
ticket for President /
Vice-President. They then had
INSIDE
NEWS
Dr. Marc Ellis visits NPU
with a message of recon­ciliation,
p. 2
PULSE
Review of “A
Midsummer Night’s
Dream” p. 7
SPORTS
Women’s hoopster hits
millenium mark, p. 8
the opportunity to perform
humorous skits or songs in sup­port
of their nomination.
For a ticket to be nominated,
however, they had to get 40% of
the nominations.
Mathematically, this only
allowed a maximum of two tick­ets
to run. It also offered a
chance of only one ticket being
nominated, even if others were
interested.
“For example, if one ticket got
61 % of the votes, and the second
ticket got 39%, that second tick­et
could not run for office,
because they didn’t have the
required 40%,” said Vice­President
Kurt Anderson.
Under the amended rules, a
candidate only needs to get 100
signatures on a petition. In addi­tion,
the requirement for a presi­dential
candidate to have experi­ence
as a SA Senator in order to
run has been taken out.
“The reason why we did this
is because in the past it was very
hard and complicated to run for
president. It was almost impos­sible
for someone outside of SA
to run,” said Anderson. “We
wanted to open it up for every­one,”
Dean of Student Activities and
Senate Advisor Gary Ireland said
“This has been a student concern
over the years. It was a confus­ing
process often familiar only te
people who had an older brother
or sister who went through it to
explain it to them. It created sort
of an ‘old-boys network,’ and
that was something we wanted to
end.”
Anderson agrees. “We want­ed
to break down a perceived
image of SA has an ‘old-boys
network,’ this should make it
more interesting."
The goal of the new system is
to have more students run for
office.
“We changed the system up
because we felt it beneficial that
students won’t feel as daunted
with this process,” said Sarah
Doyle, senior, and member of the
SA Presidential Task Force.
“It is not exactly an easy
process, but it is not as difficult
and involved as before,” said
Doyle.
Members of the Presidential
Task Force feel that the new sys­tem
is not only easier to under­stand,
but fairer as well.
“It definitely is a more fair
system for our students. It
allows anyone wanting to serve
the students a chance to do so,”
said Ireland.
“It’s not as beauracratic, and
there are not as many loopholes
to go through with the new sys­tem,”
said Doyle.
Another change in procedure,
pending Senate approval, is that
senior students, who previously
have been unable to participate
in elections, will now be able to
vote.
While the process has been
See election, p. 2
start to feel it,” said Williams.
"This is the kind of job where
you have to be excited about
doing the job. You have to like
doing il because you live where
you work.”
Williams went to Indiana
University and was planning on
being a high school teacher.
October of her senior year, she
began to dread teaching, so she
decided to switch her major to
English. She graduated in 1995
with a Bachelor of Arts degree in
English. She is now planning to
go back to Indiana and finish her
student teaching so she can
become a high school teacher.
“Now that I'm going to be ten
years older than the oldest senior,
I'm ready. Back in "95, I wasn’t
ready because I wasn’t mature
enough. The idea of teaching ter­rified
me, but I'm more ready
now. Now that I know I can han­dle
college students, I think 1 can
handle high school students.”
She has enjoyed her four years
at North Park and her best expe­rience
has been getting to know
the women in Ohlson House. She
has enjoyed watching the stu­dents
grow and working with
“some of the best RA’s I have
ever known.”
In addition to working as the
RD in Ohson Hall, she has also
continued working part-time in
OM as the Office Manager and
she drives out to the Chicago
food depository every other
Saturday, inviting whoever is
interested. She is very proud of
the things she has been involved
with at North Park and is very
sad-to say goodbye.
“My biggest accomplishment
is having developed a staff that
really relies on each other and
can communicate with each other
and can feel comfortable talking
to each other,” said Williams.
OM events seek
to spread info
about homeless
By Megan Persson
This past week has been
Homelessness and Hunger Week
at North Park, an event put on by
the Outreach Ministries program.
Events during the week and signs
in Carlson Lobby have opened
the eyes of many students at
North Park to the importance of
this issue.
This year, Homelessness and
Hunger Week was made possible
by juniors Katie Peterson and
Nada Bankovich, the
Homelessness and Hunger edu­cation
coordinators at Outreach
Ministries.
Signs posted in high-traffic
areas of North Park have chal­lenged
students all week.
Students on their way to class
Wednesday morning were con­fronted
with actors posing as
homeless people in Carlson
Lobby to try and make the issue
seem like more of a reality to stu­dents.
There were also opportunities
for students to actually get
involved with the homeless of
Chicago. One group of about ten
students spent their Tuesday
afternoon at St. Thomas
Canterbury. This mission serves
about 180 homeless people lunch
every Tuesday and Friday. There
is a group of North Park students
that visit St. Thomas every
Friday afternoon. North Park
senior Eric Brown coordinates
the trips.
Homelessness and Hunger
Week has opened the eyes of
many students at North Park to
the importance of this issue. It
has been an inspiring week, but
there is much more to learn.
There is also a group of stu­dents
going to the JPUSA shelter
to minister to homeless children
tonight. This is a regular ministry
of Outreach Ministries on
Fridays and Mondays. Also, on
Saturday, female students are
invited to visit Sara’s Circle, a
shelter for battered women. For
those who want to help in a dif­ferent
way, there are opportuni­ties
to sign petitions and write
letters advocating the cause of
homelessness to legislators.
Contact Peterson or Bankovich
for more information.
Outreach Ministries is not the
only organization on campus pro­moting
awareness of the hunger
problem in the world. The
Catholic Student Association is
planning on bringing Lisa
Wagner to North Park to perform
a one-woman show entitled
Haunted by God. The show is
See Hunger Week, p. 3
February 11, 2000 News
?l?e TVortl? Park Press Page 2
Cupola 1 ®*SI
Conversation Dance tonight!
By Sarah Satterberg
Wilh Valentine's Day right
around the corner. North Park is
preparing to celebrate with its
second annual Valentine's
Dance.
The SA Social Events
Committee decided to plan a
Valentine's Dance this year
largely due to the success of last
year’s dance. This year’s ver­sion
of North Park’s only girl-ask-
guy dance will be held at the
Francis J. Dewes Mansion
tonight from 8 p.m. until 12 p.m.
The Dewes Mansion is actually
a mini-replica of the Palace of
Versailles in France. Tickets are
$10 each and are on sale in
Carlson Tower and in ARA.
Approximately 250 people are
expected to attend, however the
number of students attending is
expected to be smaller than
those of the Homecoming
Dance or the Spring Event
Dance.
“Girls are not supposed to be
shy about asking dates,” said
Social Events co-chair Andrea
Voorhies. “Just because il is a
Valentine's Dance doesn't mean
there will be cupids running
around, it is just another oppor­tunity
to socialize.”
“I'm going and I am excited,”
said junior Erik Fassel. “I'm
glad the tables are turned so the
girls get to see what it feels like
to do the asking.”
While some male students are
experiencing feelings of relief
having been asked to the dance,
others are still anxiously waiting
for phone calls.
“I'm waiting by the phone for
someone to call and ask me!”
said first year student Chris
Bright.
Many students are excited for
the dance however there are oth­ers
feeling rather overwhelmed
by it. “I'm sick of so many girls
calling and asking me to go!”
said frustrated fifth year student,
David Porter. There are even
other students who decided to
forget about Valentine’s Day all
together and simply focus on the
future instead.
“I'm holding out for the
spring Boat Dance,” said first
year student, Milan Vuckovich
with confidence.
While the dance is expected
to be a success, some North Park
students have displayed atti­tudes
towards Valentine’s Day
that in general are surprisingly
negative.
“I hate Valentine's Day and I
don't believe in love,” stated
junior Nahed Freij.
Unfortunately, similar feel­ings
are not only held by other
North Park students, but by staff
as well. “Valentine's Day is
evil! It is an in-your-face holi­day
to all us single people!” said
North Park student service staff
member, Joel Cruz.
Whether or not the campus
agrees on the importance of the
holiday, the dance is still open to
anyone looking for a good time.
Attention North Park
basketball fans...
Fan buses will be going to the Wheaton/North Park
men’s liaskotball game tomorrow night.
Meei in the Foster/Kedzie parking lot at 5:30 p.m. to
board, buses plan on leaving for Wheaton around
p.m. Game starts at 7:30 p.m.
Sponsored by Athletes Looking Ahead
T h e N o r t h P a r k P r e s s
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A dvisor:
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Steven Waiksnoris
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Ryan Yoeckel
Jack Edwards
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Henrik Kihlstrom
Ellen Aimer
The North Park Press is published every Friday by North Park
University students. Viewpoints expressed are riot necessarily the
opinions of North Park University or The North Park Press.
Phone Number:(773) 244-5618
Fax Numbt,r:(773) 244-5551
NP-Press%student. northvark.edu
3225 W. Foster Ave. Box 10
Chicago, JL 60625
Dr. Marc Ellis
speaks on campus
By Josephine Abdallah
Some call him rabbi, but he
does not have a synagogue. If
anything, his 'congregation' is
made up of exiles - and he is one
of them.
In a visit to North Park last
week, Dr. Marc Ellis, professor
of Religion at Baylor University,
spoke at length about ethnic
cleansing and anti-Semitism.
Ellis, who is the director of
Baylor's Center for American and
Jewish Studies, also discussed
the possibilities for Jewish-
Palestinian reconciliation - both
in the U.S. and in Israel.
He was promoting the opening
of the new center, the aim of
which is “to create an important
forum for discussion of religion
and public life in the United
States and to create the leading
center for the study of Judaism
and Jewish life among Christian-identified
institutions of higher
learning.” Baylor is a predomi­nantly
Baptist university.
During a lunch session on
Wednesday, Feb. 2, Ellis told the
small group of students and fac­ulty
about his trip to Sweden for
two conferences, one on geno­cide
and another on the issue of
ethnic cleansing. The goal of the
second conference is to create an
international document, the
Stockholm accords, and collect
signatures from governments,
leaders, organizations, and “ordi­nary
folks.”
“What we would like to do is
persuade governments to stop
ethnic cleansing,” Ellis said.
Election, from p. ]
worry about losing the rich tradi­tion
of the Nominating
Convention.
There will now be the
Presidential Convention, when
students can still perform skits
and win prize money. But,
instead of nominating a ticket,
they will simply be supporting
one.
Following the skits, those run­ning
for President -and Vice
President will have an opportuni
ty to speak in front of their fellow
students.
The new Presidential
Convention will be held on
Monday, Feb 14, in Anderson
Chapel. The elections for the
2000-2001 SA President and
Vice-President will take place the
following week, Monday, Feb
21.
Hunger Week, from p. 1
about Dorothy Day, who co-lounded
the Catholic Worker
Movement in 1933. The Catholic
Worker movement works to feed
and house the homeless and also
puts out a national newspaper.
Today there are 100 Catholic
Worker houses in the United
States and around the world. Day
was an advocate for peace and
the poor as well as the homeless.
She has been called "the most
significant, interesting and influ
ential person in the history of the
American Catholic Church," and
she has been nominated for saint
hood.
Haunted By God is an
acclaimed production that has
toured Europe and is now touring
the US. Watch for more informa­tion
about this show and the
dates it will be coming to North
Park.
Thursday, Feb. 17
John M. Perkins will be speaking at Chapel on Thursday
morning at 10 a.m. and at a forum in Nyvall Lounge at 3:30 p.m.
Perkins is widely known for his leadership in the Civil Rights
Movement. Because of his involvement in civil rights, Perkins
faced a great deal of opposition, which was demonstrated through
violence. At the forum, Perkins will be speaking about his life
experiences, the hardships he faced and the resulting life lessons
he has learned.
Later that day, speaking to stu­dents
in Brorson Lounge, Ellis
dealt with the issues of anti­Semitism
and Jewish-Palestinian
relations.
He said that it was difficult for
Jewish dissidents to speak up
against “Jewish interests as
defined by the establishment.”
Those who tried to be critical
were often branded as “self-hat­ing.”
According to Ellis, there are
many Jews and Palestinians who
see a future different from that
which the “establishment” envi­sions
and who become exiles in
their own communities - Jews
who denounce Israel's oppression
of its Palestinian community, for
example.
Ellis sees these exiled peoples
as holding the key to reconcilia­tion
in the Middle East. They are
the “new diaspora,” the bridge-builders
for peace.
“These exiles are creating the
future,” said Ellis, ... “[they are]
people who are working for jus­tice
in a humble way.”
This is the worst time in the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but
“the seeds of its total transforma­tion
are also there,” he said.
“1 find it interesting that he
can see both sides,” said Nahed
Freij, a junior North Park stu­dent.
“He can see the Palestinian
side of it and he can see the
Jewish side of it. He can attack
both and he can live in harmony
with both, which I wish every­body
could do. and which 1, as a
Palestinian, couldn't do.”
How do you
celebrate
Valentine’s
“With a box of chocolate
given to me by myself. ”
—Jasmine Rousey, junior
“I would celebrate the day
before by going to a
Crushed Blue Velvet show
in Java at 9p.m., Sunday. ”
■— Tim DeBoer, junior
“With lots of men. ”
— Katie Peterson, junior
! “Watching’’ the Winter
One Acts.
LEARN
fg g g n ;
her near-perfect grade point average.
The men were- well represented in
their excellence as well. Senior Curtis
Tate earned the Jackie Robinson award
for his excellence in academics as well as
athletics. Junior Lungelo Kuzwayo was
presented the Steven Biko Achievement
award, given to an international student
who displays leadership across cultures.
The Center also took the time out to
recognize the African-American faculty
on campus for their hard work and dedi­cation
to the students. The unity of the
people were shown through the loud
cheers and applause when each student
received his or her award.
The awards were the highlight of the din­ner,
but other aspects were emphasized
as well. The crowd was treated to a won­derful
slide show of pictures of Taylor
and Graham’s trips to Kenya and South
Africa the past summer. The pictures of
the land, the people and the animals
awed the crowd.
Director of Women’s Studies Chandra
Taylor-Smith was the speaker at the din­ner.
She spoke about the history of Jesus
and connecting him through his genera­tions.
She connected that by talking
about the inability of African-Americans
to be able to connect themselves because
of a lack of knowledge of their genealo­gy.
She advised the students to reconnect
themselves to their identity by continu­ing
their academic journeys, because
they were brought there for a reason.
A special appreciation was given to
Professor Theodora Ayot as the inspira­tion
of the spirit of Africa
shown throughout the
dinner with her own
array of African clothing.
Sophomores Shanna
Lee, Monica Cottrell,
and Mamie Crayton were
three of many students
who adorned the magnif­icent
clothing, citing
Ayot as their inspiration.
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make a difference to the excited
Vikings fans.
"I can’t think of another rival­ry
in which a perennial power­house
like Wheaton is annually
out-cheered in its own gym by
the fans of a school that in recent
years has stunk like a dead cat in
an airduct," said Sager.
The excitement has definitely
returned.
Plea.se call (773) 244-5530 or
(800) 964-0101 to R S V P by F e b ru a ry 18
By Latresha Chase
The theme “Africa, Our Motherland,
Our Genesis” showed through at the
Center for Africana Studies’ Black
History Month Dinner Tuesday night in
the Alumni room.
The room was filled with beautiful
African music and several students wore
clothing from the different countries of
Africa to show their solidarity.
Many students were recognized for
their academic excellence by obtaining at
least a 3.0 grade point average. Last year,
students received recognition for achiev­ing
at least a 2.8. However, so many stu­dents
reached that goal this year the min­imum
grade point average requirement
was raised.
“It’s great that we are able to build a
foundation for minority students where
they are able to want to succeed academ­ically
and socially on the campus,” said
Alexandria Taylor, director of the Center
for Africana Studies.
Also, the 3rd annual Kuumba awards
were given out to eight students this year
recognized for their leadership, academ­ic
success and community and extra-cir­cular
activities. Taylor noted that the
selection process this year was harder
than last year because there were so
many qualified students.
“We spent many hours fighting over
who should be recognized. This alone
shows us that the black students on cam­pus
can succeed not only at North Park,
but in any setting,” said Taylor.
Junior Sherna Graham was given the
Martin Luther King Leadership award,
an award given to the student who
showed leadership in community and
social activities. First-year student
Lacretia Carroll and senior Shari Hayden
both received the Wilma Rudolph award,
noting them for their outstanding acade­mic
and athletic successes. First-year
student Adina Neal won the W.E.B.
Dubois Academic Excellence award for
Fans, from p. 8
returned to the winning ways of
the past.
"It’s terrific to see all the sup­port,
it reminded me of the good
old days," said alum and former
player (1967-1970) Dwight
Nelson.
The next men’s basketball
game is an away game at
Wheaton, but that shouldn’t
O p e n H o u s e
Monday, February 2.1
9:30 a.m.-lO p.m.
• Sit in on classes
« Tour the campus
-* Meet with professors and students
• See what community life is like
• Ask about admissions, and financial aid
We will c u s tom iz e th e d a y to fit
y o u r specific n e e d s . L u n c h Is o n us!
C om e for a n y le n g th of tim e Shat lit*
y o u r s c h e d u le .
y o u r
heart,
February 11, 2000
Opinion
________ f l?e ?VorU? Park Press Page 4 decision okay
h r o u g h I n n o v a t iv e
L a n g u a g e In s tilu f e /C h s n a c a n
e a r n a p r e s t ig io u s m a s t e r 's d e g r e e
— T U IT IO N -F f tE E — d u r in g a
tw o - y e a r t e a c h i n g a s s ig n m e n t at
a u n iv e r s ity in A s ia ! A p p lic a n ts
m u s t f ir s t b e a c c e p t e d b y EMC.
of
S ta ff co lum n
By David Nelson
Young people in America
often don’t vote. I’ve
heard some complain
that the government doesn’t do
anything for them, or others say
that their votes don’t matter any­way.
Well, maybe there are
times where Uncle Sam doesn’t
have your best interests in mind.
Maybe the students of North
Park are forgotten by the high
powered candidates greedy for
prestige and power. However, on
our own campus, the same kind
of politics are not being played.
The students and their impor­tance
hasn’t been forgotten by
the current administration, as the
recent Constitutional changes put
in by the current Student
Association Senate can attest to.
While it’s no 21st amendment,
the change to let seniors vole in
the spring election is giving them
an important privilege I feel they
deserve. Seniors have been on
campus the longest, and in some
cases it takes that long to realize
the importance of the Student
Association. The new require­ments
for running for SA
President, featured on this
week’s cover, are also a needed
change. Taking away the
requirement that a President
must come out of the Senate is a
fair change. Senate is still a good
introduction to how the Student
Association works, but there are
much more important character­istics
that a presidential candi­date
should have. Organizational
skills, communication with oth­ers,
good ideas for llie campus,
creativity in campaign slogans,
and initiate to try something new
are also important qualities that I
would want to see in my presi­Five
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dent, and aren’t necessarily
always learned by serving in the
Senate.
Another reason that both
changes are good is because they
show the students of North Park
that their intelligence is respect­ed.
If a candidate hasn’t been in
the Senate but is still qualified to
run, the students will be able to
tell. If someone who has served
their time as a senator but they
would be a poor choice to lead
SA, 1 think the voters would be
able to see that. And the seniors
should still have a voice. They
may not be here next year, (a few
probably still will be), but I
believe that even those graduat­ing
still have an interest in the
future of North Park.
So, Tim Lundgren, Kurt
Anderson and the SA Senate, I
say good decision. You have
made the upcoming elections
fairer and more meaningful to
the students. I encourage every­one
to take advantage of the SA
changes by either running for an
office yourself, or by simply vot­ing
on Feb. 21.
While I’m at it encouraging
people to get involved, I may as
well make one more plug for the
Student Association. The
Nominating Convention takes
place Monday night. For those
of you who have not been to the
convention the last two years,
you have missed some good
times. This year, I hope, will be
no different. Though I have
heard that two-time Nominating
Convention demonstration win­ner
Jerry Tittle may have hung it
up, it can still be an entertaining
evening. I hope to see a crowd
there as well as some demonstra­tions
after the prize money. It’s a
tradition, don’t let it die.
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Page 5 Viewpoints
The “North Park Press February 11, 2000
The Sacred & The Profane
If it ain’t broke,
maybe you can’t
break it
By Jelani Greenidge
U p until last week, I really didn’t understand
the law as a theological concept. I’ve never
really cared about abiding by the law for its
own sake. What I care about is not getting punished.
I always read those psalms about the law of God
and figured that maybe one day when I was 40 they
would all make sense. Thankfully it hasn’t taken
that long, because I made a startling realization dur­ing
a conversation with my girlfriend last week.
And I’m sure you will be interested in my discov­ery.
Y’all ready for this?
You can’t break the law.
I don’t mean that you’re not allowed to.
Everybody knows that. No, I mean it’s not even
possible for you to do so. It won’t work. [Yeah, I
can see the eyebrows raising already. Stay with me,
• folks.] I don’t mean that sin is impossible, or that it
doesn't exist. I know all about sin. I am intimately
aware of the fact that I am no different from the rest
of humanity in my capacity to sin. And I’m
ashamed of that. Every time I find myself violating
one of God’s principles, I feel like pond scum. Paul
talked about this feeling in Romans 7:10-13. Read
it and you’ll begin to recognize that sinking feeling
you get when you’re doing wrong.
Most often, we tend to feel guilty when we vio­late
God’s commandments. And that’s good. The
problem is, we’re feeling bad for the wrong reasons.
Take any of God’s guidelines for us -fornication for
example. Do you really think that God doesn’t want
us having sex before marriage because he doesn’t
want young people having a good time? Of course
not. God doesn’t want us to have sex before mar­riage
because he knows that if we do that, it will not
draw us closer to Him, it will drive us further away
trom Him. That’s the essence of sin: separation
from God. So when we sin, it’s NOT that it’s wrong
because it’s against a seemingly arbitrary set of
rules designed to keep us from having fun. It’s
wrong because it’s keeping us away from God.
The law exists precisely for the purpose of show­ing
us that. If we didn’t have the law, we would be
led further and further astray from God without
knowing. The law is a backup set of auxilary sign­posts
that let us know that if we’ve crossed a par­ticular
line, we’re probably not where we want to
be. That’s why the apostle James referred to the law
as a mirror that you look through in order to see
who you really are (Jas. 1:23-25). If you look in a
mirror, and what you see is in a sad state of disre­pair,
it’s not the mirror that’s broken - it's you.
That’s why it’s impossible for you or I to break
the law. You see, violating one of God’s command­ments
is different from, say, running a red light. If
you run a red light, the consequences of that action
depend on the quality of law enforcement at the
time. If no one catches you, then as far as the state
is concerned it never happened. But if you violate
God’s command, that action itself is going to be
what will drive you further away from Him and fur­ther
toward a life of brokenness and disorder. You
don’t have to be "caught" in order for that to hap­pen.
That’s the nature of sin. The law isn’t broken
as a result of sin. WE are broken as a result of sin.
So that’s good news. It means we don’t need to
live up to every little standard of good Christian
behavior that we unnecessarily take upon ourselves.
It also means, though, that if we find ourselves on
the other side of the law, we better examine our
position with God. We are not under the law, and we
cannot break the law - but we sure ain’t above the
law, either.
I ’ve got the Conch
An English Adventure
By Heidi Doyle
O n September 1, 1999, six North Park stu­dents
arrived in England for an amazing
fourteen-week educational journey.
Erik Anderson, Katherine Erickson, Abby
Evinger, Laura Laurent, Aaron Whitmer and I par­ticipated
in the Oxford Honors Program, a North
Park study abroad experience which takes place in
Oxford, England. We attended CMRS (the Centre
for Medieval and Renaissance Studies), which is
affiliated with Keble College, a school of Oxford
University. Students at Keble have access to the
Keble library, dining hall, chapel, and are also wel­come
to join student groups such as choir, rowing or
rugby.
The English school system is comprised of tuto­rials,
one-on-one meetings with a "don," or profes­sor,
which take place once a week. Because of the
limited but intense time spent in session, indepen­dent
study is emphasized. The CMRS program
places great importance upon the humanities, and
English, philosophy, history and theology courses
were the most common selections for students.
In addition to tutorials, a four-week integral
course comprised the first month of our time in
Oxford. This course studied history, religion and
culture in Europe from 1000-1300 A.D. Some
guest lecturers included a Benedictine monk and
various Oxford scholars and writers. Another part
of the course are the fascinating excursions to Bath,
Gloucester, and Stratford-Upon-Avon. Some of the
memorable things seen were Shakespeare’s grave,
the Roman baths, Glastonbury Abbey, and castles
such as Warwick and Berkeley.
Oxford itself has a wide range of churches and
affiliations, from Anglican to Catholic to
Protestantism. A favorite service is the nightly
evensong, a beautiful choir of young boys singing
hymns. Many of the churches are ancient and
ornate, such as St. Aloysius’ Oratory, and are worth
looking at whether or not one attends services there.
There are two available housing options CMRS stu­dents.
Katherine and Abby resided in St. Michael’s
Hall, the CMRS living facility located in the center
of Oxford. Erik, Laura, Aaron and I were placed at
10 Canterbury Road, a house which is a little over a
mile from the city center.
Both locations undoubtedly offered many advan­tages:
St. Michael’s Hall, in the middle of Oxford,
was near many pubs, clubs, and cultural attractions.
10 Canterbury, while a bit removed from the town
center, provided a nice respite from city life and
was also only a few blocks from Port Meadow, a
field which lies on the Thames.
A large part of the experience involved us
immersing ourselves in the English culture. The
English pub is a popular place to study, relax and
socialize. Unlike America, coffee shops are nearly
non-existent and restaurants are generally too
expensive for students to frequent. Some of our
favorite Oxford pubs include Jude the Obscure,
where Thomas Hardy worked on his novel of the
same name, and The Eagle and the Child, where
C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien regularly met to talk
and write. Some other lesser-known but equally
enjoyable pubs include the The Trout, on the
Thames River, or the Elm Tree, which hosted live
Celtic music twice a week.
Though each of the six students who participated
in the program took away their own wonderful
memories, all agree that it was a life-changing and
unparalleled experience. All have returned to North
Park but Abby, who is staying another semester, and
would highly recommend it to all eligible students.
To find out more on the Oxford Honors Program,
contact Student Services.
Time
By Britt Schachtele
When you hear the words "Black
History Month," what thoughts
x ▼ T or images come to mind? Do you
V ^ U X wonder why on earth each month has to
have a special label, why good old
February, July and November aren’t good
enough any more? Do you feel insulted
that our society must actually designate
specific months to bring about remem
brance or awareness in its people? Perhaps
you focus more on the word "black," and
believe that since you are white, this month
has nothing to do with you. If you take a
look at my picture, you’ll see that I’m a
young white female, and yet I wish to pro­mote
Black History Month. I, too, wonder
at the necessity of labeling such a month, but
- since it is here, we should ponder what it
*g£r means to each of us.
Dr. Marlin Luther King Jr. certainly is to
be remembered and honored during this
month. So are many other black leaders and
activists such as Malcom X, W.E.B. DuBois,
Zora Neal Hurston and Frederick Douglass.
The problem with the words "remember" and "honor," however, is
that they demand no action. The entire notion of Black History Month
usually implies mentioning these people’s names and their contribu­tions
to our society in classrooms across the country. Merely inform­ing
all children about black history, be they black, white, Hispanic, or
Asian, is said to tear down the walls that divide our cultures. But has
anybody noticed that the walls are still there? While I believe that
education is important and Black History Month is for all races, I also
believe that we must take this month a step further. This should be the
time when we address and act against the real issues of prejudice and
division in our country. We should not merely honor Dr. King, we
should try to emulate him, no matter what our skin color.
For example, who is willing to deal with the issue of segregation
here in Chicago? Ours is one of the nation’s most segregated cities.
Who wants to approach the irony that il is primarily black, segregated
schools that are named after Dr. King? Didn’t he have a dream that
black and white children would attend the same schools, have the
same opportunities, and live out his dream together? Unfortunately,
this is not the case in our schools today. Read (he book Savage
Inequalities, by Jonathan Kozol, if you don’t believe me. Or compare
the South Side’s Du Sable High School with suburban New Trier.
Inequality exists. Equal education is not a reality.
This past January 17th, I recognized Martin Luther King Day in a
very different way from years past. Instead of taking the day off, I had
a "day on" during which my husband and I attended a morning pro­gram
in honor of Dr. King and participated in a service project that
afternoon. Those of us who attended were a diverse group brought
together for one common purpose: to serve others. Inner city youth
read their angry poetry ("I am an animal in a cage") and performed a
drama that dealt with the black experience from slavery to today. I
was reminded again that racism still exists and that we have become
more segregated, more divided in many ways, as the years have
passed. Still, in that old Baptist church was an integrated audience,
and as we dispersed into the community to scrub walls and scrape
wallpaper in small groups that afternoon, 1 saw hope for our fallen
world.
Now here it is, Black History Month. We’ve all had our history
lessons, and they are important. This year, however, let us remember
that our world is far from perfect. The issues of racial inequality still
exist; we can no longer pretend they are issues of a bygone era. If you
truly want to celebrate this month, then I encourage you to not only
pay tribute to the lessons of the past, but to apply them to our present.
Don’t let the dream die in a ghetto somewhere. Find the joy in diver­sity,
get out there, and make a difference.
h I - f ( S S) n 6«\ IH0T
Seniors taking part in the election
_ process. T h e ‘State of Wisconsin’ and
Jerry Tittle are now eligible to three-peat
at the Nominating Convention.
The rumors going around about
> Professor Iverson leaving. She’s stay­ing,
for better or for worse.
X Java House supplies. Cream cheese and
butter in the middle of the week? Not
exactly the breakfast of champions.
February 11, 2000
Pulse
The 'Nortl? Park Press Page 6
Winter One-Act Festival continues at NPU
“Midsummer Night’s” a dream come true
f By Jo rd an Racey
r Until April 1
Chicago Shakespeare Theater at
Navy Pier,
800 E. Grand. (312) 595-5600,
and for group sales call (312)
595-5678. Sun 3 p.m., Tues/Thurs
7:30 p.m., Wed I., 7:30 p.m., Fri
p.m., Sat 4., 8:30 p.m.
It’s a classic tale they’re performing
down at Navy Pier’s Chicago Shakespeare
Theater - boy meets girl, another boy
wants same girl, another girl wants boy
who wants first girl, and they’re all being
manipulated by a band of semi-maniacal
fairies who inhabit the Athenian forest. In
the meantime, the fairies have romance
problems of their own, and to top it all off,
a band of local idiots trying to rehearse a
play stumble into the middle of everything
and one of them ends up looking like an
ass. Literally. If you haven't guessed the
production to which I refer, it’s
Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s
Dream”, although this reviewer has a
hunch that the Bard never imagined his
work performed quite like director Joe
Dowling has done.
This production succeeds because of
the faithfulness to the original dialogue
and the creativity used in the rest of the
^p lay . In fact, the movements and man-r
nerisms that
Shakespeare did not put
in the script almost steal the show from the
beauty of the words. Particularly funny
additions include old vaudeville-style
breakaway clothes (the main characters’ -
thanks to some cleverly placed wires -
clothes are pulled off by the fairies and
they spend the play in their underwear)
and the fairies’ magical abilities to manip­ulate
objects from a distance - Oberon’s
beatings of Puck and some fight scenes a
la “The Matrix” between Puck and the
other fairies come to mind.
The costumes consist of classic evening
wear and military dress circa 1940 for the
humans, and a wild collection of wigs,
bodysuits, gowns, and codpieces for the
fairies. Puck, in fact, spends the entire
play in a wig and a codpiece. Adding to
the whole Shakespearean experience is the
architecture of the theater itself, designed
to look like the Globe Theater in London
where the Bard's works were originally
performed.
The use of music is wonderfully inven­tive,
ranging from Titania’s torchy number
(backed by doo-wopping fairies) to Puck
and Hermia’s martial-arts influenced
dance sequence. Even the foolish players
get a song, singing “He’s Got High
Hopes”as they march from the audience to
the stage to rehearse their play.
The use of old-school cartoon sound
effects is also good for a laugh or two.
However, by far the funniest sequence of
the entire play is the sequence in which the
village idiots put on a play for the Duke of
Athens’ wedding. The death sequence of
Pyramus is riotously funny, with the “trag­ic”
hero stabbing himself multiple times
while shouting out the names of well-known
Japanese automakers to simulate
his “pain” (“TOYOTATOYOTATOY-OTA!!
HONDAHONDAHONDA!!” ),
and then, in a nod to Orson Welles’ Citizen
Kane, finally expires with “Rosebud” on
his lips.
It all adds up to an over-the-top, hilari­ous
energy, and you have no idea what
stunt the players will pull next. Actor
Danyon Davis is lantastic as Puck, the
Fairy King’s semi-lunatic attendant, and
Richard Iglewski steals the show with his
bitingly funny performance as Nick
Bottom. Others to watch for are Timothy
Gregory as Oberon the Fairy King and
Jason Denusek’s quietly hilarious portray­al
of Francis Flute (reminiscent of Dopey
in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”).
This play is highly recommended, well
worth the money needed for a ticket and
transportation. You'll laugh, stare in disbe­lief,
and then laugh some more. Even if
you hate Shakespeare, you’ll find some
thing to chuckle about in this version of
the Bard of Avon’s classic comedy.
The play runs until April 1 at the
Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy
Pier, 800 E. Grand. The box office number
is (312) 595-5600, and for group sales a
(312) 595-5678. Times are as follows: Sun
3 p.m., Tues/Thurs 7:30 p.m., Wed 1., 7:30
p.m., Fri 8 p.m., Sat 4., 8:30 p.m.
Shows Feb. 11. 12. 17.18.19 at 8p. in LHA
Tickets are $3 for 1 weekend, $5 for both
f Also playing the second
weekend is the
thriller"Wildwood Park." Under
Sarah Cameron’s direction,
Aaron Whitmer and Sarah
Lundberg explore a house for
sale and the mystery and intrigue
it has to offer. "It’s a chilling
exploration into the depths of the
human psyche," says Cameron.
The third in a series of Ben
Beckstrom plays has found its
way to the NPU stage. "This
play is a fictitious prologue of a
true story that occurred in the
60s," says director Andrew
Beckstrom of his brother’s play.
There are "a lot of people in my
cast, but look for Mike Johnson
again, but this time...with a
speaking role!" This play, as the
first two, features Erik Anderson
as the character in search of
answers. Also included in the
cast are Sarah Cameron, Dirk
Arends, and assorted angels and
aliens.
These plays bring many
returning North Park actors back
to the stage, and introduce many
new faces as well, which is a
role that the One Acts have
taken on for many years and has
finally begun to achieve. This is
your opportunity to catch all
your friends on stage in a unique
line-up of short plays. Tickets
for the festival are $3 for one
weekend, $5 for both. All shows
begin at 8 p.m. in LHA. No mat­ter
what your interests are, there
is something playing for every­one.
j
“The Universal Language. ”
S ' The Winter One Act Festival
2000 is now underway. The festi­val
includes nine plays altogether
because of a high interest from
potential directors and a variety
of entertaining scripts that were
submitted.
Opening last night, the first
program also runs tonight and
tomorrow night at 8 p.m. This
weekend’s plays range from
llirilling to tear-jerking lo hysteri­cal
and includes an original play
written and directed by Grady
Gillan and Jacob Van Heland.
Also directing this weekend are
( By Kelsey Link
f Chris Kustusch,
Nate Windt, Gami
Adame, and Jeremy
Bower.
Experiencing this
sequence of plays
takes you through a
number of different
emotions. As Jelani
Greenidge and
Gretchen Windt
explore and con­front
issues of love,
regret, and life,
you’ll feel com­pelled
to shed a tear
for love lost and
J found. Tipton
■ *!——ICarlson’s startling
performance as a man awaiting
the electric chair and the chilling
sound of clinking chains, with
the unsettling twitch of his arm
will cause you to wonder
whether his words are neurotic
nonsense or an obsessive under­standing
of life at the brink of
death. In “Los Vendidos”, Gabe
Alcala, Gami Adame, Jeremy
Bower, Cody Thomas, Tomas
Ramirez, and Christina
Sohlstrom are pure hilarity in a
play that satirizes stereotypes of
Mexicans. Ingrid Bowman
attempts to learn “The Universal
r Daniel LaSpata puts
up with his over-bearing
mother in “The Invisible
Language” from Jeremy \
Vreeman in a story that
proves that the language of
love really is universal. In a
thrilling finale, Daniel
LaSpata, Lisa Patterson, and
Kirstin Vander Giessen are
three victims of a serial
killer in stories that are
unconnected except by the
killer (Erik Anderson).
Aaron Nordby and Pete
Peterson also make musical
appearances in this original
play that began as a work-in-progress
and evolved to its final
form with the help of the cast.
The second weekend of this
year’s Winter One Act Festival
takes place next weekend,
February 17-19. This program
continues with a medley of gen­res
and intriguing subjects. This
segment of the festival includes
pieces directed by Tipton
Carlson, Sarah Cameron, Andy
Beckstrom, while Lungelo
Kuzwayo and Ebony Brooks co-direct
"Abstract Nostalgia," an
original play written by Brooks.
Brooks wrote the piece “in an
attempt to reflect on the com­plexities
of and dispel the com­monly
held misconceptions
about one of the most compelling
menT
heir cast features Michael
Fields as Tupac, with Lara Warg,
Demetrius Kimple, Dan Breems
and Carlos Tennin in supporting
roles. Director Lungelo
Kuzwayo asks of audience mem­bers,
"Whether you love him or
hate him, do embrace him,
because he echoes the unheard
voices of the land of the free.”
Tipton Carlson, director of
"Cowboys #2," comments, "Sam
Shepard has created a parallel
universe where consciousness is
flexible and reality is...well, not
that real." His cast features
Grady Gillan and Chris
Kustusch as well as newcomers
Sarah Beckstrom and Beth
Allina.
***** — D o n ’t miss it! **** — Worthy *** — Average ** — Wait ‘till video * — Read the b o o k instead
sneakin’ into tha movies
Page 7 fffre TVortl? Park Press_________________________________________ February 11, 2000
r Magnolia c a a r
By Lara Warg
Looking for something
out of the ordinary?
Well, look no further.
After its showcase in
College Life last week,
and because we really
wanted to see it, we’re
turning our spolight on
the newest craze in Hollywood. As
always, question, comments, and
general “I think you’re doing a great
job” messages can be sent to kus-tuschc
@ student.north-park.
edu.
Friday. 2/11
Brew & View at the Vie. 3145
N. Sheffield, 312-618-VIEW.
8pm “The Bone Collector,”
10pm “The World is Not
Enough,” 12m “American Pie”
(Fri, Sat. & Thr only). $4 cover
($6 Thr); 18+
Cher with Lou Bega, 8 pm at
Allstate Arena, 6920 N.
Mannheim Rd., Rosemont, 847­635-
6601. $35+
Fulcrum Point (classical/rock)
7:30pm at HotHouse, 31 E.
Balbo Dr., 773-722-5463. $15
Saturday. 2/12
Brew & View, see above
Moonshine Willy, Cole Rain,
Country Mielvins, Grounad
Speed, Paulina Hollers (coun­try)
9pm at Hideout, 1354 W.
Wabansia Ave. $ 10
Nights in the Wild (candlelit
dinner/tour for two) 6:15pm at
Brookfield Zoo, First Avenue &
31st Street, Brookfield, 708-485­0263.
Saturday Night Swing Jam
8pm at Blue Door Studio, 2010
W. Carroll St., 312-409-0039. $5
Sunday. 2/13
Brew & View, see above
Pasiones! Songs of the Civil
War 3pm at Rockefeller
Memorial Chapel, University of
Chicago, 5850 S. Woodlawn
Ave., 773-702-7059. $10
E very once in a while, a film comes along that’s similar to other films, but done in a way that is so original it blows your
mind and sets it completely apart. “Magnolia,” the new film from writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson, is such a film.
It’s also one of the best ensemble films to come along in years. Ensemble films are tough to pull off well; either they
usually don’t allow solid acting performances or the other elements are weak. “Magnolia” has neither of these weaknesses.
The genius of the film is its interweaving stories. Much like “Pulp Fiction” and “Short Cuts,” the blending and intercutting of
the various stories leaves the viewer a bit breathless, but it’s compelling storytelling. There is a dying rich man (Jason Robards),
his young wife and his nurse dealing with his death. There is a quiz show kid and his controlling father. Meanwhile, we also
see into the host’s life: he’s dying of cancer and cheating on his wife. Also in this vein is a former quiz show champ whose life
has gone down the toilet. On another front, we follow an earnest, goodhearted, but shy cop. Another story involves a sex guru
and his lifestyle.
If the stories seem bizarre and coincidental, they are. But that’s part of what makes “Magnolia” such a delight to watch. In
addition, Anderson has a knack for dialogue that knocks you over and tickles your funny bone, all the while being brutally hon­est.
The plot twists are well-handled, especially through Anderson’s use of montage, symbolic imagery and contrasting cam­era
angles. Perhaps the only weakness of the film is its pacing. The climax is twisted and wonderfully demented, but the
denouement takes a little long to come to a close. When it did, I found myself wishing that a few more details had been wrapped
up and a few more story elements and character confrontations had been explored. Nevertheless, the
rest of the film more than makes up for this small stumble. This is especially true when one considers Anderson’s last film, the
much-touted “Boogie Nights.” There, the first hour and a half was fabulous, but the film ran out of gas. Here the level of writ­ing
has greatly improved, making the film far stronger.
The acting has already been hailed as fantastic by many critics, and I heartily agree. Tom Cruise delivers a knockout, siz­zling
performances and deserves an Oscar nomination for his work, not to mention respect for the guts to satirize his “public
image” the way he does here. Julianne Moore again lights up the screen and provides a wonderful emotional backdrop to a fair­ly
simple character. John C. Reilly, one of the great modern character actors, is magnificent as the kind cop, reminiscent of
Nicholas Cage’s character in “Bringing Out the Dead.” The rest of the ensemble delivers tightly-driven, hypnotic performances,
complementing each other beautifully, drawing in the audience and holding them until the last frame.
Although the film has excessive language, some nudity and drug use, the overall exploration of sin, grace and reconciliation
is a welcome change from the normal fare of mindless tripe found in today’s theaters. In short, “Magnolia” is a film that has
all the right pieces. And how wonderfully they have been put together.
—C,CvU& "KuMx/mA
Monday. 2/14
Brew & View, see above
Nights in the Wild, see above
Ttiesdav. 2/15
Brew & View, see above
Land of the El Caminos,
Muchacha & Prescriptions
(alt) 6pm at Metro, 3730 N.
Clark, 312-559-1212. $5
Northwestern University
Percussion Ensemble 7:30pm at
Regenstein Recital Hall, 1965 S.
Campus Dr., Evanston. $3.50
Wednesday. 2/16
Brew & View, see above
Triakel (Scandinavian folk
music) 6:30pm at Chicago
Cultural Center, 78 E.
Washington St., 312-744-6630.
Thursday. 2/17
Brew & View, see above
Social Scare & The Story So
Far (alt) at Metro, 3730 N.
Clark, 312-559-1212. $5
Blue Mountain (rustic rock)
9pm at FitaGerald’s, 6615 W.
Roosevelt Rd., 708-788-2118. $8
Marc Anthony (Latin pop)
7:30pm at Rosemont Theatre,
5400 N. River Rd.. Rosemont,
847-671-5100. $30+
Ongoing
Second City 4.0 (comedy) Tu-
Th 8:30pm; Fri-Sat 8 & 11pm.
Second City, 1616 N. Wells St.,
312-337-3992. $15
Skate on State Ice Rink Daily
from 9am-7:l5pm. State and
Randolph Streets, 312-744­3370.
$3 skate rental.
February 11, 2000
Sports
fl?e IVortl? Park Press Page 8
Albrecht reaches
milestone of 1000
Three sport star Stacy Albrecht hits IK mark in Y2K
By Josh Coan
When Stacy Albrecht graduated from Niles
North High School in 1996 she had no idea what
great things she would accomplish as she headed
for North Park.
Four years later, Albrecht is one of only nine
female basketball players in North Park History to
score 1000 points in their career.
The senior shooting guard and two-year captain
accomplished that feat one weekend ago in a game
against Millikin University. Albrecht entered the
Jan. 29 game need­ing
just five points
to reach the 1000-
point milestone.
She finished the
game with 15
points, which
places her ninth on
North Park’s all
lime scoring list.
With five games
remaining Albrecht
will most likely
finish her basket­ball
career with
around 1100
points.
In addition to
being one of North
Park’s all time lead
ing scorers
also ranks in the top ten in three other categories.
She is currently ranked eighth all time in assists
with 232, third in steals wilh 185, and second in
three point field goals with 78. She has also start­ed
an amazing 94 straight games for the Vikings.
Head womens basketball coach Jack Surridge
said, “scoring one thousand points means a lot to
Stacy, but the progress the team has made since she
was a freshman is more important to her.”
The team has made a complete turn around from
Albrecht's freshman year when the team finished
with a 4-21 record. This year Albrecht has led the
team to a 12-8 overall mark, which places them in
the middle of the CCIW standings.
Albrecht’s statistical accomplishments are
amazing but she says she is more proud of playing
three sports for four years.
Albrecht is one of the few North Park athletes to
play three sports, participating in volleyball, bas­ketball
and softball for the Vikings. She has earned
11 varsity letters during her career at North Park. A
twelfth is on the
way as Albrecht
enters her senior
season as the start­ing
pitcher for the
Viking softball
team.
Albrecht, a
Skokie native,
attributes her suc­cess
to her father,
who is the varsity
girls basketball
coach at Evanston
Township High
School, as well as
the three coaches
photo by Kristine Courtney ^ ^ ^ a (
Stacy Albrecht poses with h e a d c o a c h J a c k ,
Surridge and assistant coach Mary Surridge after
"Albrecht Passin8 the 1000 point barrier against Millikin
Park.
me
“They helped
when 1 was a
freshman by not only telling me what to do, but
showing me how,” she said, referring to her coach­es
at North Park.
She not only respects them, but they also have a
respect for the way that this three sport star plays
whatever game she is involved in.
‘Albrecht is in an elite group of athletes, and her
heart and determination is what has got her there,”
said Surridge.
Grounds
gone from
staff at NP
By Joel Card
Mark Grounds, the North
Park football offensive line
coach/offensive coordinator
for the past five years, left the
program last month after
accepting a job at Jacksonville
High School in Jacksonville,
111.
Deciding to follow his ambi­tion
of becoming a high school
head coach, Grounds seized
the opportunity that
Jacksonville presented him.
According to North Park
head football coach Mike
Liljegren, Grounds will serve
as offensive coordinator at
Jacksonville for two years
before taking over the head
coaching position. This post is
guaranteed when the current
coach retires.
Grounds, 31, left for
Jacksonville earlier this month,
and couldn’t be reached for
comment. Liljegren said that
one of the largest factors in
Grounds' decision was that he
would be nearby his family in
Springfield, 111.
Liljegren supported
Grounds decision to accept the
high school position saying, “I
want all my coaches to have
ambitions. I don't want any of
them to be stagnant.”
Liljegren, who brought
Grounds with him to North
Park five years ago, is quick to
point out that Grounds guided
the offense down the field suc­cessfully
this past season.
Their only flaw was that they
needed “to put it in the end-zone”
more often.
“He did a great job offen­sively,”
said Liljegren, “we
had a very diverse offense.”
Grounds will be tackling a
new responsibility at
Jacksonville as well, as he will
be teaching students who have
learning and/or behavioral dis­orders.
Where this leaves North
Park football is another ques­tion.
A replacement for
Grounds has already been
found however, coming from
within the current North Park
football coaching staff. The
coaching staff is restructuring
by adding offensive coordina­tor
to running back coach
Carlton Goffs job description,
and elevating former Viking
player Tom Soprych to a posi­tion
as part-time offensive line
coach.
Regarding Coach Grounds'
qualifications for becoming
Jacksonville's head coach,
Liljegren said, “He certainly is
capable of that by a long-shot.”
Basketball success brings back fans
By Jason Oleniczak
In the seventies and eighties,
North Park basketball was syn­onymous
with championships.
1978, 1979, 1980, 1985, and
1987 were not only years of pride
for the NCAA Division III
national championship men’s
basketball team, but they were
also times of excitement for the
whole college.
“Back then, everyone on cam­pus
would talk nonstop about the
basketball team, and the air
would crackle with electricity the
day of a big game,” said North
Park alum and basketball fan
Greg Sager. “Final Four week­ends
became milestones in peo­ples
lives.”
As the men’s basketball team
takes a 6-3 conference record
into the final stretch of the season
with a chance of winning both
the CCIW conference and mak­ing
their first NCAA Division HI
tournament appearance since
1990, the excitement of the old
days seems to be returning to
North Park.
The gym was packed for the
Jan. 26 and Feb. 2 games against
Illinois Wesleyan and Wheaton.
The group known as the
“Carlson Crazies” were present
as always dressed in their typical
kilts, wigs, bad leather coats, and
plaid pants. The student section
was full as normal, however, so
was the rest of the gym. The
bleachers on the stage were full,
the alumni section was full, and
the visitors’ section was full. The
North Park pep band was play­ing,
and a group of girls revived
the old cheerleading squad by
dressing up and acting wild.
This is the excitement that North
Park men’s basketball hasn’t
seen in years.
“We have the best fans, no
question about it, they are small­er
in number, but they rival the
Duke fans,” said head basketball
coach Rees Johnson, referring to
legendary students known as the
‘Cameron Crazies’ from Duke
University.
One year ago Johnson look the
men’s basketball program over
from Keith Peterson and finished
the year at 12-13. Within one
year Johnson has brought in a
"We have the best
fans, no question
about it. They are
smaller in number,
but they rival the
Duke fans"
new coaching staff, along wilh
players such as Rob Berki,
Micah Watkins, and Brandon
Donaldson. Johnson has used
both his staff and players wisely,
and has made the men’s basket­ball
team respectable in the
CCIW.
“He (Johnson) has connec­tions
all over the country and he
knows how to use them to bring
in good players,” said Sager. “He
has surrounded himself with
good basketball people and isn’t
afraid to let them do what they do
best.”
This team, however, has not
only brought back excitement to
the gym, but they have also
brought back missing alumni and
North Park supporters of the
past.
Assistant coach Padraig
O’Brien, who also teaches spe­cial
education at Von Steuben
High School, recently had a run-in
with a fellow teacher and for­mer
alum of North Park. This
teacher explained to O’Brien that
after six years of not attending
games due to the pain of watch­ing
past North Park teams, he
loves to come now.
As the end of the basketball
season is closing in with games
against Wheaton, North Central,
Carthage, Milikin, and Elmhurst,
the fans are sure to have an
impact on the outcomes of these
games.
“The fans are the sixth man,
and you feel a lot more comfort­able
when you have fans like we
do at the end of a close ball-game,”
said assistant coach Paul
Brenegan.
Fourth year starter and team
co-captain Rick Alspach played
when the Vikings did not receive
so much support, and he is
impressed with the fan atten­dance.
"The fans make you feel like
you are not alone, and you play
better knowing people are there
to watch you," said Alspach.
North Park students and alum­ni
have taken pride in this year’s
team, and it appears that the
North Park men’s basketball has
See Fans, p. 3